Japanese symbol for “imported”
外来
がいらい
Romaji: gairai
foreign; imported
In Japanese, imported is 外来, read がいらい (gairai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n foreign; imported
- adj-no, n outpatient; outpatient care; outpatient clinic; outpatient ward
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “imported”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 舶来 | はくらい hakurai | imported; foreign-made |
| 天竺 | てんじく tenjiku | foreign; imported |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for); apart from |
| 外交 | がいこう gaikou | diplomacy |
| 意外 | いがい igai | unexpected; surprising; unanticipated |
| 外部 | がいぶ gaibu | outside (e.g. of a building); exterior |
| 未来 | みらい mirai | (distant) future |
| 出来る | できる dekiru | to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “imported”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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